The Wild World of Sloths

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Transcript of The Wild World of Sloths

The Wild World of Sloths Will their cuteness effect us much longer? What are sloths? Fun Fact: Sloths are most closely related to anteaters and armadillos. Fun Fact: Even though the two-toed sloth and the three-toed sloth are very similar, they are not related at all. What is happening? Sources "What Is a Sloth?" What Is a Sloth? N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2013. <http://www.sloth-world.org/SlothFAQ.html>. Sloths are part of the endentate family. Their average head and body length are 21-29 inches and their average weight is around 9-19 pounds. They have a thick, brown colored coat, but their fur normally has over 600 different kinds of bacteria, plants, and animals living in it at all times, so they sometimes appear to have a green tint to them. "Sloth." Sloth. Zoo Atlanta, 2003. Web. 23 Apr. 2013. <http://www.zooatlanta.org/home/animals/mammals/sloth>. Ecoist. "20 of the World’s Weirdest Endangered Animal Species | WebEcoist." 20 of the World’s Weirdest Endangered Animal Species | WebEcoist. WebEcoist, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2013. <http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2008/08/24/strangest-endangered-species-and-animals/>. Machacek, Erin, and Gina Champigny. "Sloths." Sloths. Greentree School & Golden Hills School Division, 2007. Web. 24 Apr. 2013. <http://www.ghsd-curriculum.com/inquiry/projects/rainforest/animals/animal_sloth.html>. Sloths are known to live in tropical forests, mostly in Central and South America, that have tall trees and very warm weather. The End! Where do they live? Due to where they live, their diet consists mainly of leaves, fruits, berries, and shoots. To get their fluids, they either drink the water from a near-by river or use the liquids found within the leaves they eat. Minnesota Zoo. "Minnesota Zoo." Minnesota Zoo. Minnesota Zoo, 2013. Web. 02 May 2013. <http://www.mnzoo.com/animals/animals_sloth.asp>. Fun Fact: Because of the sloths unusually low metabolic rate, they typically only come down from their trees every 4 to 8 days to urinate and defecate. When they do this, it is very possible that they lose up to 30% of their body weight. Cvetkova, Kelly. "Endangered Species CAT- The Sloth." Prezi.com. Prezi, 24 Oct. 2012. Web. 08 May 2013. <http://prezi.com/stbd-86v91th/endangered-species-cat-the-sloth/>. Sloths are currently on the endangered species list and are under immense threat Why are they endangered? Natural Threats: Sloths biggest natural threat would be their predators. They are mostly hunted by jaguars, harpy eagles, and anacondas. They have also been known to be hunted by owls, even though owls are much smaller than sloths. Human Threats: Humans are always threatening the lives of sloths by hunting them and destroying their habitats. Also, recently one of the biggest human threats has been poaching for their furs or being taken for the purpose of pet trade. Human Threats Continued: With the destruction of their habitat the trees they live in are being cut and chopped, which leaves them stranded and exposed to their predators. It is not just the destruction of the trees, though, that is killing them. Everything that enables them to survive is in the rainforests. Present and Future? Why do we care?: We should care because if they were to become extinct it would put a huge hole in our biodiversity (the variety of animals and life forms we have on earth). It would also affect the other animals in the rainforest that rely on the sloth and it would stop the evolution of the sloth plus the information that scientists have attained by observing the sloth would be gone forever. What is being done?: Many organizations have made it their mission to protect the sloths by fund raising, protesting, creating conservation areas, and by making donations to other organizations that fight for the sloths. Some people also contribute by buying blocks of land to let the animals freely roam without having fear of being killed. Fun Fact: One of the largest and most well-known sloth conservatories is The Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica. Their mission is to rescue, research, and rehabilitate the sloths of Costa Rica. What could be done?: We could try and get laws passed that stop the deforestation of the rainforests, put an end to the poaching of the poor animals, and try to raise/donate even more money to the organizations who work everyday to try and save this species life. Future: Their future as of now has not really been determined. They are still a pretty crucial species, but recently there has been an infatuation with sloths, so maybe that will give them the attention they need to try and get them off the endangered species list. Only time will tell with these animals, though. "Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica." Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica RSS. The Sloth Sanctuary, n.d. Web. 09 May 2013. <http://www.slothsanctuary.com/>.